Caught in the storm
by BJ30
Summary: On the way to the next stop in their tour, the tour bus for the furry trio gets caught up in a snowstorm. Will they make it out alive, or will someone not make it?
1. The accident

"Next stop is in Maine, guys. We should be there tomorrow night."

Alvin looked out of the window, watching the countryside roll by. Simon was busy reading while Theodore was taking a nap.

"No offense Alvin, but we just got done performing and we're a little tired."

"Oh come on! It's only six thirty! Early shows are the most fun. How can you be tired?"

"Because we do all the real work out there while you take all the spotlight. Hell, I barely get any fan mail!"

"Well excuse me for being mister popular but we are called Alvin and the chipmunks, not Simon and the chipmunks."

"Whatever. Just go back to your seat and leave me alone."

Theodore sat up, rubbing his eyes. Noticing this, Simon started to yell at his brother again.

"Now look what you did. Your yelling woke Theodore up."

"Me? You're the one that started it all, mister no fan mail guy. You know what? Maybe for the next tour we'll rename ourselves. Let's see just how well SIMON and the chipmunks takes off. Yeah, that'll really sell tickets."

"Al least I wouldn't be an ego maniac like you."

"Guys!" Theodore yelled "Stop fighting, please."

"You know what, you're right. We really should stop all this." Simon looked out of the window and noticed that it was starting to snow.

"Interesting. It's really starting to come down out there, Theo. Alvin? What do you think?"

"I think it's best that you and I don't talk to each other right now. For Theodore's sake. I'll be in bed if you need me."

Alvin left his brothers and went to his bed. Instead of trying to go back to sleep, Theodore sat next to Simon and gave him a hug.

"Great show today, Simon."

"Thanks. You were pretty good out there, too. Do you think Dave will be happy to see us again?"

"I think so. I just hope everything is okay at home. I don't like seeing him stressed out."

Simon looked outside again and noticed that the snow was so bad that he could hardly see. Concerned, he went to the front of the bus to check up on the driver.

"Are you doing okay up here?"

"To be honest with you, it's really bad out there. I've slowed down quite a bit. If it doesn't let up soon I might have to pull over for a while."

Simon started walking back toward Theodore when he started to feel the bus begin to slide on the road. It picked up speed a little as Simon reached Theodore and sat back down. From the front of the bus, they could hear the driver talking to himself.

"That was too close, Simon. I'm scared. Are you scared, Simon?"

"Me? I'm not scared. I'm terrified. I don't like riding on the bus in a blizzard."

They could hear the driver start talking to himself again. This time however, he seemed more concerned.

"Guys, hang on! This is gonna hurt…"

The bus took a sudden jerk sideways, tossing Simon and Theodore onto the floor. Simon heard the sound of scraping metal as the bus started tilting to the right. Having heard the commotion, Alvin ventured from the bed and joined his brothers.

"Oh no…" The driver uttered as he saw the bus heading for the edge of a cliff. He tried everything to try and get the bus to stop, but it would not slow down.

"Brace yourselves, everyone. We're going to crash!"

The driver screamed as the bus broke through the guard rail and fell off the cliff. It landed a couple seconds later and skidded down the hillside, coming to a stop as it slammed into a large tree. The only thing Theodore could hear was the sound of the warm engine hissing and glass fragments crinkling as they settled all around the bus.

"Guys, are you okay?"

"My butt hurts really bad, but I'll be okay. Alvin?"

"Ow… That hurt worse than that time I fell off the stage in Paris. Guys? How are we all okay after that? We should have been injured or something worse."

"No kidding. Look where we are, though. On top of Simon's bed. We got lucky."

"Guys, what about the driver? Is he okay?"

Alvin tried walking, but found it too painful. Theodore decided to step up and check. He quickly realized that the driver was now in the passenger seat, face down. He tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Sir? Are you okay?"

The driver did not respond. Theodore looked around and noticed that a pool of blood was forming around his head, causing him to scream and run back to Simon, hugging him tightly.

"He's dead!"

Not believing him, Simon walked over and examined him.

"Oh my god… You're right, Theo. He really is dead."

"This cannot be happening. I have to be dreaming. How did we survive that almost unharmed yet the bus driver did not?"

"I don't know Alvin… I'm just really scared right now. We have no food and no water. It's below zero outside and snowing like crazy. What should we do?"

"I say we stay here. Help will come."

"I vote for going out and trying to get food. It might be a couple of days until help gets here."

"Theo, what do you want to do?"

"Let's spend the night here and go out in the morning."

"All right. Alvin, get some blankets. Theo, you try and get something on the radio. See if his weather is gonna let up anytime soon."

Alvin limped toward what was left of the small bedroom and looked around. Theo room was a complete mess, having fragments of glass all about and other debris starting to fall down.

"Guys, we have one small problem. Theodore's bed has glass sticking through it and I can't even find mine. We'll have to share Simon's bed."

Theodore could finally hear the radio start to come in. The signal was faint, but increased in strength as the minutes passed.

_The snowstorm has now settled in and is going nowhere fast. Expect at least a foot of snow by morning. State officials are encouraging people to stay off the roads until crews have had a chance to remove the snow._

"Great. NOW they tell us. Simon, I'm going to get some sleep. Good night, everyone."

"Good night, Alvin."


	2. Into the snow

Sleep was next to impossible for the trio of chipmunks. They were woken up by the sounds of snow falling from the treetops and onto the bus.

"I'm freezing. Now I know why we hibernated in winter. Guys, get your warm clothes on and head out. There has to be a tree nearby or something that we can use for shelter. Theo, get that radio going again, would you?"

Theodore turned the radio on and eagerly listened for any signal. As he heard the broadcaster start to talk, he urged his brothers to join him.

"_Hello and welcome to the seven o'clock news. Breaking news out of Pennsylvania this morning. During last night's storm a bus belonging to the singing group Alvin and the chipmunks went missing. At this time it is not known if they made it through the storm or if they made an unscheduled stop to avoid the weather. We'll bring you the latest as it comes into the newsroom…_"

"Hey! That's us. We're bound to be found now! Come on, let's get out of here and get a fire going. We really need to get warm."

Theodore helped Simon climb out of the wreckage of the bus, with Alvin close behind. Together, they helped pull Theodore up and out. He looked around and saw that they were so far away from the road that they could not see it. Alvin began sniffing at the air and started tapping Simon on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I smell it too. It smells like gas. We should get away from here. Now."

The trio jumped from the bus and ran as fast as they could through the thick blanket of snow. Simon turned to get one last look at the bus before running into the woods. Theodore was the first to reach a large tree and scamper up it.

"Come on, guys. There's a nice little hole for us to use for shelter."

Simon was quick to follow his brother, with Alvin bringing up the rear.

"Well, it's not that big, but it will do. Alvin, you first. Theodore, you go next. I'll keep a lookout."

"For what?"

"For anything wanting to have chipmunk for lunch. That, and to get a fire started. You two relax. I'll be fine."

Simon found some smaller twigs and started to gather them at the base of the tree. As the pile grew, Alvin ventured from the hole to watch his brother. Simon was too busy trying to get a fire started to notice that his brothers were creeping down the tree, wanting to help.

"Simon, do you need help? Oh my… look at your arm."

"What about it?"

"You have a really big cut on it. On top of that, it's bleeding!"

"I'll be fine. It's you two I'm worried about. If I don't take care of my brothers, who will?"

"We can get this fire going, Simon. You get yourself fixed up."

"Are you sure? I can do this too, you know."

"No buts, mister. We can do this just fine. You go get a leaf or something and get that covered up."

Reluctantly Simon retreated back up the tree and managed to find a couple of fallen, dead leaves which he carefully placed around his arm and held in place to stop the bleeding. Minutes passed before he heard any word from his brothers.

"Any luck down there?"

"Almost got it going. This is harder than it looks. Aha! At last."

A small fire started to burn at the base of the tree, causing Simon to run back down and start to warm himself. After a few seconds he leaned over and hugged Alvin. He then gave him a kiss on the cheek, before quickly turning away.

"Sorry. Got too carried away, Alvin. I'm just so happy to be warm again."

"No worries, bro. I am too. I hope that someone will come to rescue us sooner or later. This is not fun at all."

"You got that right. This is so much worse than the time we vacationed with the girls. Remember that?"

"Oh yeah. Britt and I stayed up all night. It was fun."

"Guys, what are we going to do for food? I'm starving."

"I have no idea. It's winter, so there are no berries or anything like that out. We might want to go back to the bus and see if we can salvage anything."

"Alvin, think about that. The bus is a pile of metal now. If we did have any food, it's probably smashed into a million pieces. Why don't we just hold off on it for now and think of something later?"

"All right. I am really cold. Theo? Are you okay?"

Alvin noticed that Theodore had his back turned to them and was sobbing.

"I miss Dave. I miss Eleanor. I want to go back home!" Theo yelled. "I miss our family!"

"Theo, you do have us. I'll always be there for you no matter what. Got it?"

"Got it. Thanks, Simon. I needed that."

The group cuddles around the fire, trying to warm themselves as snow started to fall yet again.

"Great! Just what we need. Guys, why don't we sing a song to warm ourselves up more?"

"All right. Theodore, you ready?"

"As always."

While the trio were singing, the snow intensified even more, causing their visibility to drop even further. Simon shivered as they wrapped up a song.

"Guys, if we all gather into a tight circle and sit as close as we can to the fire, we should be okay. I don't want us to freeze to death."

"I agree. All that the singing did was pass time."

"I'm still hungry, guys."

"I know, Theodore. I know…"


	3. Slipping away

"Guys, I cannot take it anymore. I have to go back to the bus and search for food."

"Simon, we really need to stick together. If you're going, then so am I."

"Fine. Let's hurry up and get back. Theodore, are you coming along?"

"Nnnoooo…. Tooo cooolllldddd…." Theodore shivered.

"I know. I'm cold too. You try and get sticks for the fire and get yourself warm. Alvin and I will be right back."

Theodore watched as his brothers scampered through the snow and out of sight. He stood up and stuck a few more sticks into the fire in order to keep it going. He sat as close as he dared to the fire without burning himself, waiting for his brothers to reappear.

"This sucks big…. I don't like it. I should be singing with my brothers on stage right now but no. I'm stuck in the cold and snow."

Theodore rocked back and forth, trying to warm himself further.

"Guys? Is that you?" Theodore stood up as he heard a noise in the distance.

"Alvin? Simon?"

He could see his brothers in the distance, heading toward him. Simon was dragging the small radio behind him, while Alvin was carrying an apple. Defeated, Alvin sat the apple next to Theodore and started to weep.

"This is all we could find. Everything else was destroyed. Simon has been trying to get the radio to work for the past ten minutes."

"Damn! Come on, you stupid thing! Work!"

"Simon, you don't have to swear at it." Theodore encouraged. "I'm sure you'll get it sooner or later."

Simon hit the side of the radio and listened for any sound to come in. He could hear a faint signal and decided to turn it up for his brothers to hear.

_Day two of the search for the three chipmunks known as Alvin, Simon and Theodore. Caretaker David Seville has encouraged anyone knowing the whereabouts of the chipmunks to come forward. Any information leading to their rescue will be rewarded._

"Dave's looking for us, guys!"

"Of course he is. He loves us. Now what are we gonna do with that apple?"

"This won't last us forever, guys. We should figure out how to split this up."

"We should each take turns getting a mouthful until it is gone. Sound good?"

"Okay. Theodore, you first."

Theodore shivered as he took a bite from the apple and watched as Simon did the same, and then Alvin. The trio traded on and off until the entire apple was gone. Now full, Theodore sat back down next to the fire and hugged Simon. When Theodore let go, he noticed that the radio was making more noise.

_…and more snow to come today as we can expect to see six more inches of the white stuff by nightfall._

"Great! That's all we need. We're freezing our butts off already. Dave! Please help us. Dave!" Alvin shouted.

"Alvin, yelling is only going to waste energy. We should concentrate on keeping warm until help arrives."

"When, Simon? Huh? When is help coming? In another day or two we'll starve or freeze to death!"

"Maybe. I'm sure help is coming as we speak. Theodore? Is something wrong?"

Simon noticed that Theodore was shaking horribly from the cold. Simon quickly scooted him closer to the fire and held him tight.

"Alvin! Help me, please. Hold onto him tight. Our body heat should warm him up."

"Ggg….guys? My… my lips are… are blue…"

Simon placed his head right next to Theodore's while Alvin held onto his back.

"Where…. What are we doing?" Theodore asked.

"Oh my… Alvin, he needs all the heat he can get."

Without hesitation, Simon removed his shirt and placed it on his brother.

"Simon… you… you'll freeze now."

"As long as you're warm, I don't care."

Theodore closed his eyes and leaned back, passing out seconds later. Concerned, Simon started work on yet another fire to try and warm his brother while Alvin continued holding onto Theodore. Several tense minutes passed before Simon could get a spark from the sticks.

"Come on, baby… Almost there."

"Better hurry, Simon. He's not looking good."

Working furiously, Simon had another spark followed by the start of a fire. Simon positioned Theodore's head by one fire, and his feet by another. He anxiously waited for him to come to, but was getting silence in response. On the edge of crying, Simon grabbed his brother's hand and kissed it.

"Come on, Theo. We need you to pull through. I need you…"

"Alvin, you go back up to the tree and get a soft bed made for Theo. He deserves it."

Alvin agreed and headed back up the tree. Simon remained still, staring at his brother. Simon could tell he was starting to get really cold as well, but he did not care.

"Theo? Come on…. Wake up!"

Simon held his head next to his brother's chest and listened for a pulse. He could hear a faint pulse, along with short breaths.

"Simon, all set."

"Good. Help me get him up there."

"Why can't we keep him down here until he wakes up?"

"All right. I suppose he does need the heat."

Simon again laid down and held his brother tight. Desperate to warm his brother, Simon wrapped his legs around Theodore and lifted his head on top of his own. Theodore's breathing increased slightly causing Simon to smile.

Alvin sat next to the fire and started to warm himself.

"Simon?"

"Yes, Alvin?"

"Is Theo… you know. Going to make it?"

"At this point, it's hard to tell. We need to keep him warm if we have any hope of saving him. Hypothermia is serious business. I just hope we don't get it too."

Simon heard Theodore cough, startling him slightly. He looked and saw him open his eyes only to close them again.

"Ow…" Theodore managed to utter before passing out again.

Simon became even more concerned as he felt his brother's breathing begin to slow down. Scared, Simon jumped up and placed his lips onto Theodore's and blew.

"Come on… I'm not letting you go, Theodore."

"Alvin, help me get him up that tree and quick! I can do more work out of the snow."

Alvin grabbed onto his brother and lifted him up. He would look down every few seconds to see how Simon was doing, only to turn away and continue climbing again. Once inside the hole in the tree, Simon urged Alvin to remove his shirt and place it on Theodore, which he quickly obliged.

"What is this going to do?"

"I'm desperate, okay?" Simon yelled, with his eyes full of tears. "My brother is dying Alvin and I'm going to do everything to try and save him!"

Simon once gain placed his lips onto Theodore and blew. Noticing that he was getting nowhere, Simon collapsed next to Theodore and cried into his shirt. He reached up to try and feel a pulse.

"Alvin! Do you feel anything?"

Alvin reached his hand down to Theodore's neck, and then withdrew it, shaking his head.

"No."


	4. Life and death

"What? It's not true. Tell me it's not true. It can't be. Let me in there, Alvin!"

Simon sat up and placed his hand onto Theodore, trying to feel for any signs of life.

"Alvin, tell me you feel that. On.. on his wrist."

Alvin reached down and grabbed hold of his brother's wrist. He felt what he thought was a pulse.

"Alvin, I do feel it. It's not just you. Our brother is still with us. Hang on, Theodore. We'll get you warmed up. Somehow."

Alvin sat Theodore up and hugged him, letting his tears flow onto his brother's fur.

"Don't worry. I'm sure that when morning comes we'll all be home and this nightmare will be over."

"Simon, get real. We're alone in the middle of friggin' nowhere, our brother is almost dead and we're next!"

"Alvin, that is not true. We lived through winter before and we can do it again."

"It's called hibernation, stupid! Do you see us doing that right now? No. Theodore would still be with us if we were hibernating."

"He's not dead, Alvin. Not yet. I'm sorry that you have given up hope already but I'm hanging onto as much as I can. If we don't make it out of here alive…" Simon shivered and began to tear up.

"Yes? Then what will happen, mister smart guy?"

"If we don't make it out of here alive, at least I'll die with someone I love."

Simon rushed over to Alvin and held him close. The duo began to shake from the bitter cold creeping in from the outside.

"Come on. Let's try and get some sleep. Keep Theodore in the middle, and maybe our body heat will keep him alive long enough to see another day."

Simon shook his head and laid down next to his brother. He patted Theodore's head with his right hand and then tried his best to get some sleep. With the cold, sleep was hard for Alvin and Simon. From time to time Simon would sit up and check on Theodore, only to lie back down again. When the sun began to rise, the incoming beams of light caused Alvin to groan.

"Oh! I was having such a good dream, too. Simon? Is he… you know. Still alive?"

"Yes Alvin, but just barely. He desperately needs warmth and even then, he might not make it. Speaking of which, why are your lips all blue?"

"I'm cold, Simon… too… cold. I have ice on my tail, for crying out loud."

"Me too, Alvin. I'm.. oohhh…. Colllldddddd…"

"Simon! Not you too!"

In desperation Simon removed his shirt from Theodore and placed it back on himself.

"Oh yes… the… the warmth."

"Simon! Theodore needs it worse than you do."

"Yeah, I guess… guess you're right. So sorry, Theodore."

As he placed his shirt back onto Theodore, Simon noticed that his brother's leg twitched.

"Alvin? Did you… you see that?"

"Yeah. He moved! Dear god the actually moved!"

"Don't… don't get excited….it was a…just.. a…"

Simon fell forward and faced Theodore. He reached his hand outward and held it as tight as he could.

"Simon! You… you too? No. It can't be…"

"Don't worry about… me, Alvin. We'll be… be okay."

Simon let go of Theodore and rolled onto his back. Alvin looked outside and could see the remnants of the fire from the night before sticking out through the snow. He quickly scampered down the tree and took what sticks he could carry. He tried his best to start a fire within the confines of the hole but was having difficulty. His hands were too cold to maintain a decent grip on the sticks.

"Come on, damn it! I need the fire to save my brothers!" Alvin said in frustration.

After more failed attempts he could see smoke but had no fire.

"Come on, Alvin. You can do it. For Theodore and for Simon. Do it!"

He grasped the stick once again and furiously tried to get the fire started. He saw a spark fly from the stick and out the hole, followed by another soon after. Alvin then laughed as he looked down and saw that he indeed had a fire. A small one but a fire none the less. He then ventured back down the tree to try and gather more sticks. He took what little he found and went back to the fire.

"I really should have thought this through. A fire inside a hole in a tree? Not too smart."

Alvin picked up Theodore and dragged him as close as he dared to the fire. As he laid him back down, Alvin went back over to Simon and placed him next to his brother.

"This is bad. My brothers are going to die!" Alvin yelled as he felt his eyes starting to tear up.

Alvin felt himself shiver again. As he tried to stand up he became dizzy and fell down in between his brothers. He tried his best to sit back up but his muscles were not responding. In desperation he placed his hands on the ground and pushed. He managed to lift himself an inch or so from the ground before his arms gave out and he fell back down.

"Sorry I couldn't save you two. I… I love you guys…"


	5. Theodore's final bow

.._I'm standing at the crash site where the bus carrying the band Alvin and the chipmunks went over the edge of the road. It was almost two days ago that the trio went missing and officials are very skeptical that they will be found alive…_

Inside the tree, Alvin was still lying next to his brothers. He managed to open his eyes for a brief second only to close them again. Now on the line between life and death, Alvin started to hear voices. He tried to call out for help but his lips did not move. The fire from the previous night had already burned itself out and all that remained were ashes.

"Ow! What the… hey! Over here. Look what I found What's a radio doing all the way out here for?"

"I know that radio. That was Theodore's radio. They have to be close by. I'm gonna look in that tree."

"Mister Seville, do you know how big this forest is? How likely is it that they will be up any tree, let alone this one?"

"I know my boys. Let me look."

Dave managed to get a good enough grip to reach up to a higher branch and grab hold. He scooted closer toward a hole and peeked inside, gasping at what he found.

"Oh no…"

Theodore still had his brothers' shirts on, while Simon and Alvin were completely naked. He poked at Simon and got no response. He then did the same with Theodore and lastly, Alvin. As he withdrew his hand, Alvin's legs twitched, exciting Dave.

"Come here, guys. You're safe now."

He grabbed hold of the furry trio and gently lowered himself back down the tree.

"Hey! I found them. We need to get them help as soon as possible."

Without hesitation Dave ran back toward the road and to the waiting ambulance.

"Hang in there, guys. Help is on the way."

With the sirens on and lights flashing, the vehicle sped away. Dave stared at Theodore and Simon, but was still getting no response at all, with Alvin twitching every few minutes. Upon arrival Dave gathered the trio up and hurried inside.

"Doctor, please tell me. Are they going to be alright?"

"Mister Seville, I'm not going to lie. Theodore and Simon won't make it through the night. Alvin has the best chance but even he is still borderline. I'll do my best to save them, but I cannot promise anything. They all have severe hypothermia."

"So you mean Theodore and Simon are dead?"

"As of right now, no. In a few hours, yes. I'm going to try a very experimental treatment for them but only if you okay it."

"Do whatever you have to do. I want my boys alive."

"Very well. I'll report back to you after the treatment is over."

While waiting for the doctor, Dave wandered back and forth around the waiting room.

"I knew it! I knew I should have driven them instead of making them take the bus. This is all my fault…"

Dave continued pacing back and forth for over an hour before the doctor came into the waiting room and asked Dave to follow him.

"Mister Seville, I have completed my treatment. I am happy to say that Alvin will pull through. Simon and Theodore however will have to wait until morning. Simon has some nerve damage in both his feet and hands but if he makes it through the night, he'll be fine."

"And Theodore? What about him?"

"It does not look good, sir. I've done all I can do for the little guy and it still looks like we might lose him. I would hope for the best, but expect the worst."

"Can I see them?"

"Of course. They're down the hall, third door on the left."

Dave walked down the hallway and into the room where the trio of chipmunks were resting. He sat next to Theodore and stroked him along his back.

"Theodore, please make it through the night. We all need you here."

From behind him, Dave heard a cough. He turned around to see that Alvin had woken up.

"Dave? Is… is that you?"

"Alvin! I'm so glad to see you."

"Did you die too?"

"Alvin, you're not dead. You lived through it all and are still alive."

"Wow. What about Simon and Theodore?

"Simon will be okay if he makes it through the night. Theodore though, might not make it. The doctor tried an experimental treatment on you three and we have to wait and see if it worked or not."

"I hope it did. I love Theodore!"

"So do I, Alvin. Now you get some rest. I'll be out in the waiting room if you need me.

As Alvin left the room Alvin sat up and looked over at his brothers. Simon rolled onto his side, causing Alvin to cheer.

"He's still alive. Now what about Theodore?"

Alvin noticed that Theodore had a heart monitor hooked up to him. Alvin watched the machine for several minutes, praying that the numbers would not go down.

"Come on, Theodore. We all need you to live. I need you."

As Alvin closed his eyes, the machine started to beep. As the beeping got further and further apart, the doctor came into the room and grabbed a syringe and filled it with liquid from a jar sitting next to it. As he gave Theodore the injection, the doctor looked up at the monitor. Theodore's heartbeat began dropping further and further. Alvin cried out as he heard the machine switch over to one long beep.

"No! Theodore!" He yelled.

Alvin jumped from his bed and over to Theodore's, hugging his brother tight.

"Come on, Theo… Don't die on me. I love you, bro!"

"I'll get mister Seville for you." The doctor commented as he left the room. Alvin tapped his brother's face lightly trying to get any sort of response from him. Alvin then collapsed on top of him as Dave entered the room.

"Dave! Wake him up, please! Simon and I need our brother."

"I can't do anything for him Alvin and neither can the doctor at this point. Unless some miracle comes about… our little Theodore is… is dead."


	6. Dealing with death

"No… Theodore! Please wake up, buddy. We need you."

Alvin tapped his brother's face, hoping this might incite some response. Seeing that the taps were getting him nowhere, Alvin kneeled down and rested his head on Theodore's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Alvin, I'm.. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Dave. How will Simon and I go on without him? How can we live knowing our brother is dead?"

"We'll find a way. I'll be getting things ready outside if you need me. If Simon wakes up, do tell him."

When Dave left the room, Alvin gave Theodore a small kiss and returned to lying next to his brother. With tears still fresh in his eyes, Alvin began to hum quietly to himself while still holding onto Theodore's hand.

"_Only youuu…..can make this world…seem right. Only youuu… can make the darkness bright…_"

Alvin closed his eyes and pressed himself tight against Theodore, muffling his voice in the process. After a few seconds he managed to compose himself enough to turn away and face Simon. To his surprise, he saw Simon's legs twitch and heard a soft groan being emitted from within.

"Simon? Wake up. I have bad news."

"Alvin? Are we dead?"

"No. Only Theodore is."

"Theo? Oh my god… not poor little Theodore. Not him."

"Yes, I'm afraid he is not here anymore…Unless a miracle happens really soon."

"Let me get over there, Alvin."

Simon tried to move but pain shot through his body as he moved his legs. Ignoring it all, Simon limped from his bed over to Theodore and sat down. Simon cried as he hugged his brother, causing him to do the same.

"I think it's time that we join Dave outside. There's nothing more we can do here."

Helping his brother, Alvin walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Alvin looked back one last time toward the room containing his brother and watched as the doctor walked in carrying a small black bag.

"Simon! You're awake. What are you doing out here?"

"I had to go, Dave. I can't explain why, but I just had to."

"I understand. Simon, let's get you home and into bed. You need the rest."

Dave helped Simon into the front seat of the car, while Alvin hopped in and made Simon as comfortable as possible for the ride home. As much as he did not want to, Dave pulled away from the hospital as Alvin looked back again, knowing his brother was still inside.

"I miss him already, Dave."

"As do I. I'm going to call the news station when we get home and let them know about what has happened. I already canceled the remaining stops on the tour as well."

"Thank you, Dave. However, I don't think we are ready to go on camera yet."

Dave shook his head and continued driving. Alvin looked over at Simon and started to sob again. He looked around expecting to see Theodore but in reality knew that he would not see his brother anywhere inside the car. Everyone remained silent the remainder of the trip home, not wanting to upset anyone else.

"Well, here we are boys. Less than a day without him and already the house seems less warming and inviting. Oh hey… we got a message."

"I'll be in my bed if you need me, Dave. Simon? What about you?"

"Reading a book. It really seems to calm me when I'm sad."

Dave walked over to the answering machine and pressed the play button.

'_One new message. Received at seven fifty eight p.m.:_'

Dave was shocked at what he heard next: the voice of Theodore's doctor.

'_Mister Seville, I must ask you to return to the hospital as soon as possible and bring your boys. I'll explain more upon your arrival._'

"Dave? What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Maybe something is still wrong with you Simon. Guys, you go and change your clothes. I'll get some things around and get ready to go again."

"Whatever this news is, I hope it's good. I can't take any more bad news today."

"Neither can I, Simon. Now let's go get changed."

Alvin helped his brother into the bedroom and went to grab a new shirt. Simon pointed at Theodore's bed and asked Alvin to grab one of his shirts instead.

"Simon, his clothes won't fit you."

"I don't care. I'm wearing it to remember my brother by."

"All right. We better get back out to Dave. I'm sure he's ready to go by now."

Alvin held onto Simon's hand and led him back outside where Dave was waiting for them. He helped the chipmunks back into the car.

"Dave, what do you think the doctor is going to tell us, and be honest."

"I think Simon has something seriously wrong. I could be wrong but you three did spend serious time out in the cold. Simon, how do your legs feel?"

"Really sore. Nothing broken, but my right leg is killing me."

"I see. Let's hope the doctor can fix it up like new for you. Now sit back and relax. We'll be at the hospital before you know it."

Dave sat back in his seat and concentrated on the road. From time to time he would look over at Alvin and Simon, but still maintained focus on driving. Feeling tired, Simon leaned against Alvin and dozed off. Not wanting to wake him, Alvin sat still for the remainder of the trip to the hospital.

"Come on, guys. I'll carry you in if you want."

At first Simon refused but a quick talk with Alvin convinced him to accept Dave's offer. He walked a few feet down the long hall and took a left, heading back toward the office that they had just left.

"Ah! Welcome back, mister Seville. Have a seat. I have news for you three."

"What is it, doc? Is something wrong with me?"

"Yes, but that is not why I asked you here. Simon, you have some damage to your right leg from the cold, but nothing that will prevent you from performing in the future. Now for the reason why I asked you all back here so soon. If you would please follow me, I'll show you what I am talking about."

Dave picked up the chipmunk duo and followed the doctor out of the office and into a private recovery room with two beds. The curtain on one bed was wide open while the other was closed. Behind the curtain Dave Simon and Alvin could hear a machine beeping.

"Please be quiet. He needs his rest."

The doctor pulled back the curtain, revealing what it was hiding. The machine making the noise was a heart rate monitor. Dave lowered them onto the end of the bed and allowed them to creep closer toward the front.

"Is that who I think it is, Alvin?" Simon inquired.

"Yes it is. It's Theodore."


	7. Rebound

"Doctor, I don't understand. He died. I saw him lying there on that bed. How is he still here?"

"Alvin, in all my years as a doctor I have never seen anyone come back like he did. I cannot really explain it. Shortly after you three left, his heart resumed beating. Shortly after that his breathing returned. There have been cases where people have come back from the brink of death like this, but I have never heard of an animal doing the same thing."

"It's a miracle. Just like we asked for, Simon!"

"It is indeed. However it just doesn't make sense. We both saw him dead. I guess it just was not his time to go."

"Now I must insist that we stay here with him, Dave. Just in case he wakes up. I want us to be the first thing he sees when he wakes up."

"Of course. Doctor, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

Dave stepped outside of the room, closing the door behind him. Alvin crept forward and stared at his brother.

"Oh Theodore… We both love you so much. Welcome back, bro."

"Alvin, he wasn't away on vacation. He was dead."

"Sorry. Anyway, we are glad that you are alive."

Alvin jumped back as he heard Theodore groan in pain. He stared contently as he waited for any response from his brother.

"Uhhh…."

"Theodore? Did you say something?"

"Wha…. Wha… what happened?" Theodore tried to raise his head up but found the pain too much to bear and quickly lowered it back down.

"We were in an accident, Theo. We got trapped in the snow and cold. If it were not for Dave getting us to the hospital just in time, we would not be here right now. You are the luckiest chipmunk to ever walk the earth, Theodore."'

"Oh… ow! Why?"

"You died. In fact, you were dead for a while. We got a message on the phone from the doctor as we got back home telling us to come back up here, where we just found out that you were still alive."

"Theo, we are so happy to have you with us and don't you worry about the concerts. Dave already cancelled them for us."

"But the… the fans…"

"We know. Some people will be angry but let's hope that they understand what we are going through right now. With any luck we will be back on our feet performing in no time."

"Not… not the way I feel, Theodore…"

"I'm Simon. You are Theodore."

"Why are you… wearing my shirt?"

Simon looked down, and noticed that he still had his brother's shirt on.

"Oh. I just wanted to wear it to remember you by, but not that you are alive, you can have it back."

"No thanks… you keep it. Good night, guys…"

Theodore closed his eyes and resumed sleeping. Simon looked at the door as Dave came walking back in and took a seat next to the bed.

"Guys, the doctor said that Theodore will have to remain here for a week or two. After that, he will have to come back once a week for treatments until he is fully recovered."

"But he is going to live, right?"

"Yes. He will live."

"Good."

*** Six months later… ***

With a slight limp, Theodore closed the door to the dressing room and joined his brothers backstage. He smiled as they gave him a hug.

"Guys, this is our first concert since the accident. I say we give them a show they will never forget!"

"Oh yeah! This is going to be the best show ever. Let's go out there and rock and roll all night!"

"Theodore, listen… They are calling for you…"

Theodore leaned closer to the stage and could hear the waiting audience chanting his name.

"Wow. That's a first. Usually they want you, Alvin."

"Tonight, you're the star Theodore. Now get out there and give the people what they want!"

The trio walked as close as they could to the stage and waited for their introductions to start.

_Ladies and gentlemen… In their first concert of the new tour, please welcome onto the stage Alvin, Simon and Theodore_!

The audience erupted into applause as the furry trio took center stage. They quickly gathered into a circle and whispered to each other.

"Remember this: Theodore, you are the star tonight. Kick some tail!"

"You got it, Alvin. Let's do it!"


End file.
